Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel
today sentenced Christopher Paul Hasson, age 50, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to
160 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, on
four federal charges, including unlawful possession of unregistered silencers,
unlawful possession of firearm silencers unidentified by serial number,
possession of firearms by an addict to and unlawful user of a controlled
substance, and possession of a controlled substance. Hasson has been detained since his arrest on
February 15, 2019.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the
District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent
in Charge Art Walker of the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Acting
Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.
“Preserving our nation’s security against terrorist threats
continues to be the Justice Department’s top priority. Lives were saved due to the skill and
dedication of law enforcement in this case.
Christopher Hasson intended to inflict violence on the basis of his
racist and hateful beliefs. As long as
violent extremists take steps to harm innocent people, we will continue to use
all of the tools we have to prevent and deter them,” said United States Attorney
Robert K. Hur.
“The FBI remains committed to combatting terrorism, both
domestic and international, and we remain fully prepared to take those actions
necessary to safeguard our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer
Boone. “We will use every tool given to us by the Department of Justice and
Congress to disrupt Racially Motivated Violent Extremist activity. However,
protection of our communities and our nation is a shared responsibility, and we
must combat terrorism as a united force against all forms of violent hate.”
According to his plea agreement, Hasson was a Lieutenant in
the United States Coast Guard. Prior to
June 2016, Hasson owned a residence and lived in Currituck, North
Carolina. In approximately June 2016,
Hasson moved to a residence in Silver Spring, Maryland, and worked at Coast
Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
As detailed in the government’s sentencing memo and
presented to the Court during the sentencing hearing, Christopher Hasson
self-identified as a “White Nationalist” for over 30 years and in writings
advocated for “focused violence” in order to establish a white homeland. Review of Hasson’s e-mail accounts, saved
documents, text messages, and Internet searches show that he was inspired by
racist murderers, stockpiled assault weapons, studied violence, and intended to
exact retribution on minorities and those he considered traitors.
Hasson admitted that from at least March 2016 through early
February 2019, he used various e-mail accounts, including an overseas encrypted
e-mail account, to order Tramadol, which is an opioid, from various illegal
Internet-based distributors. Hasson
usually paid for the Tramadol by wiring money to individuals in Mexico, at the
direction of the Mexico-based distributor, who then had the Tramadol shipped to
Hasson, typically in 100mg pills, at addresses Hasson provided, including his
North Carolina and Maryland residences.
Hasson admitted that he then concealed the Tramadol in other packaging
at his residence and work and personally took the pills, usually daily,
including while he was at work.
As detailed in his plea agreement, at the time of Hasson’s
arrest on February 15, 2019, agents recovered 196 Tramadol pills from Hasson’s
backpack. Search warrants executed the
same day recovered 106 Tramadol pills from Hasson’s desk at Coast Guard
Headquarters and 122 Tramadol pills from Hasson’s residence. From Hasson’s residence, law enforcement also
recovered the following firearms: seven
rifles; two shotguns; four pistols; two revolvers; an assembled firearm
silencer; and a disassembled firearm silencer.
In close proximity to the guns, agents found multiple magazines that
could accept more than 15 rounds of ammunition, as well as hundreds of rounds
of ammunition. Hasson ordered the
components of the firearm silencers from a company in California and used a
drill to complete and assemble one firearm silencer. Hasson knew the firearm silencers were not
registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, and that
they did not have serial numbers, as required by law.
As detailed in court documents, to prepare himself to take
action, in addition to the firearms and silencers referenced above, Hasson
purchased holsters, knives, magazines, ammunition, handguards, camping
supplies, Meals-Ready-to-Eat, steel body armor plates, plate carriers, tactical
vests and pouches, firearm repair kits, and smoke grenades. Hasson also e-mailed to his Coast Guard
computer the manifestos of mass murderer Anders Breivik and Unabomber Ted
Kaczynski, as well as the memoir of Eric Rudolph, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
bomber, titled “Between the Lines of Drift: The Memoirs of a Militant.” Hasson referred to those documents in his own
writings. Hasson registered for an
online sniper and sharpshooter forum, studied sniper tactics, and purchased
high-end scopes and a sniper rifle.
Internet searches performed by Hasson show that he targeted potential
victims, including media personalities and current and former elected
officials.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the
U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the ATF for their work in the
investigation. Mr. Hur thanked his
office’s national security prosecutors, who handled the case.
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